I have used FE for so many years. Most of the trips were art related. I have taken trips with them…read morein the states and in Europe. All of the trips were very organized! Valerie and Jacquie were available for the entire trip - they ensured my comfort, good transportation, and good information for excursion's and outside tours. They even brought lunch and carried chairs. Both Valerie and Jacquie are very kind and so much fun to be with. I would absolutely recommend them and French Escapade - you will have a great trip! I am actually scheduled for my next trip with them later this year!

I just want to add my very positive review of French Escapade. This is a professionally run…read moreorganization with participant satisfaction at the front of everything they do. It's easy to recommend them because I know that any sketch artist or painter will love being in the care of French Escapade and their artist Instructors.

Today I visited Meek Park with my doggie client as I want to take her to beautiful park hence why…read morewe were here this morning. I haven't been to Meek Park since 2017?! Oh my goodness that's so long ago. Meek Park today is still as lovely as I remembered it, but even better because they now have the water fountain flowing. The grounds are maintained well with beautiful lush grass and pretty flowers. I also saw some cute cats in their garden area. They have a parking lot with plenty of spots. The playgound looks whimsy and elegant at the same time. I'm so happy that their poop bag stations have actual poop bags! I had poop bags with me, but it's just so helpful when a park also provides poop bags as well just in case people need them. I think they have a restroom area if I remember correctly. I know there was an area with plenty of picnic tables.

A very nice park, with the Meek Mansion as the centerpiece!!…read more Meek Mansion is a historic victorian house surrounded by gardens. The whole park is fenced off, with locking gates to the parking lot. There are many paved trails here, along with picnic areas and playgrounds. There are always people here walking the trail along the outer edge of the park. I have not yet been inside of the mansion, but this park is nice enough to go to on its own. But checking out the inside of this mansion is definitely on my to do list!!!!

Five stars because it costs no yen…read more As far as Japanese gardens go, this one is my least favorite because it is rectangular, with a visible metal fence perimeter, with ugly trash and graffiti visible from across the creek and no opportunities to feed the koi fish. Three things, though, that make it special is that they have memorial plaques, stray cats, and blowtorched wood for an aged and weather-resistant finish. From 1913-1962, the site was a practice site for farming and raising livestock for Hayward Union High. It became a garden by the late 1970s, and when dedicated in 1980, focusing on botany (with plants donated by local Japanese-American nurseries) rather than religion. Every first Saturday at 1pm there's a free lecture/tour. It's not especially beautiful or big (3.5 acres) or exciting (the few people I saw there were on their phones), but it's a peaceful, clean area. I think informational displays could help people enjoy it more. Or phone chargers. Information like, many of the wooden connections (including the main entry gate) have notches instead of notches to fit together like puzzle pieces. This more authentic approach prevents rust. Or, the garden uses the Shakkei technique: when you can stand at the highest point, the surrounding trees are meant to look like distant mountains, with specific plants blended with the Japanese maples and native Oaks to make the garden feel ten timers larger than its actual 3.5 acres. Or, the hand-selected granite boulders from the Sierra Nevadas are buried one-third into the ground so it looks like they are growing, which is why I don't manicure myself often. .

I did not know this place existed until my partner found this and brought his family here…read more It's a nice, serene and scenic short walk with plenty of nice photo spots and benches to sit and take in the greenery. I loved seeing all the koi, bansai and various plants they had in the area. It is well worth a visit to come check it out!

Had a great experience for a Bachelor's trip. I was only able to book up to 4 ATVs online, but they…read morewere more than happy to house a party of 7 when I called in to book it. Travis was our guide and we all loved him. We went for the easy difficulty since it was all of our first times. Initially, it was a slow start and a little boring, but things started to rev up 5-10 minutes as Travis kind of saw how we were keeping up. At the end, our friend in front (behind Travis) was completely caked with mud, which was hilarious to us. It rained the day before, so it made sense why. The rest of us had specs of mud on us and it was easy to clean/wipe off. Overall, it was a great experience. Would love to return one day with a higher difficulty.

i loved every second of this tour. I went with me and my dad for 2 hours. our tour guide, Travis,…read morewas excellent, and helped me, who was a complete beginner, learn how to use the controls and everything essential for the journey, and going up some of the hills had great views with many photo opportunities. I would definitely recommend this tour if you would like a well guided experienced that goes at your own pace. You do not have to go on any part you dont want to, also, which is nice. This tour has definitely made me more interested into offroad vehicles, thanks to this amazing experience and tour guide.

FREE BOAT TOUR?? Say less…read more Scored tickets on Eventbrite by sheer luck and fast fingers--like, Hunger Games fast. I clicked "register" and two minutes later the entire thing was sold out. The site was lagging so bad it felt like I was trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets, but for a ship. They handed out free Oakland Harbor pins like it was Halloween, which honestly made me feel very official. The tour itself? A+ vibes. The guides were funny, informative, and clearly living their best sea-loving lives. Fun fact: apparently most of the giant shipping boats cruising in come from Asia, and somehow I've passed them for years without noticing the country names literally written on the sides. Who knew? Now the downside: the snacks were a crime. No garlic fries. Just $10 tea and peanuts combo that somehow made my "free" boat ride feel bougie. If you sit outside (which I did because I like wind and pretending I'm in a dramatic movie scene), just know the speakers are basically whispering. But hey, vibes over volume, right? Totally recommend--just bring your own snacks and your best clicking finger.

Every season, the Port of Oakland offers free 90-minute tours if the port in the Red and White…read moreFerry. I just happened to go on the dirt one this year. The weather was perfect and it was a fun, engaging experience. They narrate most of the ride out, pointing out significant ships and places along the channel. You pass Alameda, sail over BART, glide under the Bay Bridge, and cruise by Angel Island. If you listen, you will definitely learn something new. The best place to sit or stand is on the right (facing Oakland). I was inside, because I needed to sit, but there was easy access to the back of the boat. I got some great pics. There is also easy access to the snack bar. They have candy, chips, soda, and other snackables. The surprise offering was cup of noodles, which seemed really popular. They did a brisk business the whole trip. The best parts for me were the cranes, seeing the bridge up close, and check your the lighthouse on Angel Island, particularly the cranes. Shout to George Lucas. He claims the cranes weren't the inspiration for the imperial walkers on Hoth. We all know better. Anyway, be prepared to stand in line a bit before boarding (like at least 1/2 an hour), lots of people, and lots of kids. It seemed popular with families. Time seemed approximate. The tour started "late" and ended a bit late. Nothing too obscene, just don't plan anything immediately following. The tours are popular, so sign up early. Again, it's free, and it's pretty delightful. Definitely recommended.

The Pepsi Tour owner (Art Jaramillo) never went thru with a tournament and didn't even cancel the…read moreevent or notify the players that were signed up. He then refused to return the entry fee money and we had to file a claim to our credit card company. We also spent time and money to get to the tournament in Arizona from California and only when we showed up at the course for a practice round did we find out there was no tournament. Please be careful when signing up to play in these events. Very unethical and unprofessional...to this day haven't received any kind of apology.

We went here for the holiday train ride. It was absolutely fantastic. We did purchase the parlor…read morecar option which is the first class accommodation. It was well worth the extra money. Plus you get parking right up next to the train car. The parlor car offered spacious, comfortable seating, VIP time with Santa Claus, a hot adult beverage, or nonalcoholic version, bottled water, snacks, Christmas cookies, and a great narrative of the ride. You're also allowed to walk the length of the train, but you need to have a wristband so you can get back into the parlor car area. Be prepared for lots of traffic as you drive to the train station from other parts of the Bay Area. Traffic is bad during the winter if not always. The train leaves right on time so you do not want to be late. Also, the railroad provides very detailed and helpful instructions about how to get to the depot and how to navigate the parking and other systems. They have outside train cars and inside train cars so you can choose what type of seat you want. This is definitely been worth the money and should become a holiday.

We love this train! Only been for Train of Lights and an amazing experience each time! Getting…read moretickets is a bit stressful but I managed to grab tickets for our party of 9 for a Saturday! They let you bring food and drinks on as long as you clean up after yourself. The ride was relaxed, the train had different festive decorations per car, the kids had a blast and Santa was on the train and so friendly! 10/10 would ride again!

For those looking for something truly unique to do in the bay area, I highly recommend this tour…read more I'm not going to try and butter this review up here. Let's be honest - I am not a farm person. I appreciate a good meal but am not one who normally spends much time worrying about where my food comes from. So I expected to be bored on this trip, frankly. Boy was I wrong. This trip blew my expectations away. It was a great mix of different farms and different ways of doing things, and I felt like a kid again on a super-fun field trip where you got to explore and touch and watch the makings of where your food comes from. The farmers were genuine, down-to-earth people and were serious farm-fresh foodies. We literally had meals prepared for us by the farmers right in front of us and they were SO DELICIOUS. I got to pick my own tomatoes right off the vine. I even learned about fruits and vegetables I'd never even heard of. Oh, did I mention I got to try them out, too? The environment was relaxed. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. And the design of the event was really mellow but well planned. Did I mention the views? These properties are just amazing. What awesome country to get to go hang out in. Between all the exploring, wine, food and learning, the day went by fast and I got to take in a ton of beautiful sites. This tour was a find. After having my parents visit the bay area regularly and running out of creative things to do with them, I know where I am taking them next. What a great and unique thing to do on your weekend.

Bay Area Green Tours is an authentic touring company! BAGT is thorough in their quest to research…read moreand identify locations, people, and events that are consistent with their mission of educating around localism and a cyclical ECO-nomy. They provide the connections between the local context and the bigger picture and inspire action towards a sustainable, regenerative future. Marissa's on-the-pulse connections create unique and non-"tourist" experiences that are organized and professionally delivered. I'm honored to have been a visiting guide on a custom tour we developed around the local textiles and maker community in Oakland. The tour included personal studio visits with local makers, a lunch stop at a local artisanal eatery, wine tasting and ended with a sewing workshop where the participants created a collaborative wall hanging as a keepsake for the honoree's birthday. Hiroko Kurihara Co-Founder Oakland Makers Hiroko Kurihara Designs

Chris was a fantastic tour guide. He set up a great variety of wineries for us to visit. Each was…read moreexcellent and offered different experiences. His vehicle was roomy and comfortable and we got to play our own tunes as we cruised between stops!! His knowledge of the area, its history and the wineries we visited added another great dimension to the experience. And the lunch that he prepared for our group of eight was phenomenal. All home prepared by his family and friends! If you come across Chris, don't hesitate for a second to book him!!

We were planning a girl's trip to Napa and got very overwhelmed with all the wineries and tour…read moreoptions. I found Curated Winery Tours and Chris came to the rescue. I completed his questionnaire to help him plan our trip and he did an amazing job meeting our wants and needs. He was also very knowledgeable and friendly and made our day perfect. The picnic lunch provided by his wife was also a perfect addition to our tour. Thank you so much Chris for such a lovely day!!!

Lake Chabot Regional Park is an absolutely beautiful place and easily one of the most peaceful…read moreoutdoor spaces in the area. From the moment you arrive, it feels like a true escape from the city--quiet, expansive, and surrounded by nature. The scenery alone is worth the visit. The lake is stunning, especially when the light hits the water, and the surrounding hills and greenery make it feel immersive and calming. It's the kind of place that instantly slows you down and helps you breathe a little deeper. One of the biggest highlights is the sheer number of trails available. There are so many options, whether you're looking for a casual walk, a longer hike, or something more challenging. The trails are well maintained and offer a great mix of lake views, wooded areas, and open stretches. It's also a great park because it works for so many different types of outings. You'll see hikers, runners, cyclists, families, and people just enjoying time outdoors. There's plenty of space, so it never feels overcrowded, even when it's busy. Lake Chabot Regional Park is a true gem. The natural beauty, variety of trails, and peaceful atmosphere make it a place you'll want to return to again and again. Whether you're local or just visiting, it's absolutely worth spending time here.

I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding my recent experience at the park and…read moremarina area. During my visit, my children and I waited nearly two hours to get on a pontoon boat while I observed management allowing other individuals to board boats based on personal relationships or favoritism. This felt unfair and unprofessional In addition the staff behavior inside the café was extremely disappointing and lacked professionalism. The only positive part of the experience was the young men working on the dock, who remained respectful and uplifting once they noticed I was upset. They handled themselves professionally despite the stressful environment around them I also noticed several safety and cleanliness concerns throughout the area. Many of the boats appeared old poorly maintained and dirty From what I observed employees were mainly instructed to spray the boats down quickly with hoses, with little to no proper cleaning supplies being used This does not appear to be an effective or safe maintenance process for equipment being used by families and visitors Another concern was the way some employees were treated by management I witnessed behavior that appeared disrespectful and unprofessional toward staff members. I strongly believe all visitors and employees should be treated with courtesy, fairness, and professionalism at all times, regardless of background or position Overall the lack of organization, customer service, assistance, and maintenance created a very frustrating experience for my family and negatively impacted our visit to the park I respectfully ask that management seriously review these concerns and take appropriate action to improve customer service, employee treatment, safety standards, cleanliness, and overall operations moving forward